Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses

A friend was talking to me recently about an offsite she had with her team. She used the Strengths Finder method to help them understand themselves, and each other, better.

The main point, as she described it, is to focus on your strengths in order to be the most productive member of the team you can be.

The thinking goes, if you focus on your weaknesses, then you’re really just trying to minimize the mistakes you will make. However, if you focus on your strengths, you’re trying to maximize the positive impact you can make.

I LOVE THIS. I believe this philosophy applies to both people and businesses, with the caveat that your weaknesses cannot be too distractive or debilitating.

For instance, if you are not a detail-oriented person and are more creative, then focus on your creativity. You can find ways to be passable on the details side – using systems like x.ai or finding a to-do system that works for you – but spend most of your time making sure your creativity is in the spotlight, because that’s where you’ll make your biggest impact. And that’s what makes you special.

Same applies to a business. Lean in to what you’re great at, and minimize or get rid of the things your company just doesn’t do well. All the great companies, and leaders, have done this.

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Hi, I’m Jeff. I’ve founded a few companies – including Spunlogic, 48in48, and my current company, Dragon Army. If you enjoyed this post, please consider signing up for my email list. And of course, you can reach me on Twitter and LinkedIn.